Antioch Could See More Commercial Cannabis With Direction on Ordinance Update

On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council provided staff with direction on a possible update to its cannabis ordinance which may allow more commercial cannabis into the city.

Approve Cannabis Overlay Map

The council focused on four areas:

1. Adding definition of cannabis use – adds the definition of “commercial cannabis”
2. Substituting “operating agreement” for “development agreement”
3. Included additional items and conditions of an operating agreement
4. Reviewing options for modifying local restrictions

While the council was in agreement on Items 1-3, they appeared split on Item 4 which would expand the current overlay map of where commercial cannabis could be allowed–which could ultimately be citywide in an updated ordinance.

Police Chief Tammany Brooks provided the police department impact on what an expansion of the cannabis overlay would mean to them, while adding he encouraging the council to make a thoughtful and measured approach to changes.

“I had heard there was a possibility of consideration of making the entire city part of the cannabis overlay district which I would not recommend,” stated Brooks. “I do not believe it is not in the city’s best interest to open up and allow cannabis to operate anywhere in the city as long as they meet some of the additional described business descriptions, but I have concerns it might lower the bar and make it easier for some unscrupulous businesses to open up and immediately impact the surrounding areas.”

Brooks highlighted how he was not against expanding a potential cannabis overlay, but was against an overlay over the entire city.

Kwame Reed, Director of Economic Development, said those in the industry want a safe place to be located and if they could be placed in an upscale shopping center as long as it meets the requirements, it should be considered.

Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts asked chief Brooks for feedback as her hope was these retail locations would reduce street sales and if cannabis is leading to more crime.

Brooks replied saying the black market on cannabis is still “extremely strong” but not just true in Antioch, but across the State of California while seeing it on a daily basis.

“I don’t know if more dispensaries will lesson that, but I know price point and availability, we have not seen a diminished market for illegal drug sales of marijuana in our city even with the two dispensaries we have within our city limits,” stated Brooks. He also noted in terms of crime, the dispensary on Wilbur has had 25 calls for service while the W. 10^th location has had 5 calls for service.

Mayor Sean Wright stated for items 1-3, by all means to push forward, but on Item 4, said he was a wait and see as they have space in current districts which could add capacity.

“From my standpoint, I don’t see a rush for us to open up a wider district but that doesn’t say I might hear some information to come in that shows an opportunity in another area and we might look to expand, but tonight as we discuss I don’t see a huge urgency for us to widen the urgency district,” stated Wright.

Councilman Lamar Thorpe stated he was fine with Items 1-4 stating they needed to start looking at expanding the cannabis overlay because the process was still controlled by the council.

“At the end of the day, the process is still controlled by the council. At the end of the day we get to determine who gets to come and who does not. This creates a process for someone with a good idea in another part of town, great! That process encourages fairness,” stated Thorpe.

Thorpe argued that the City of Concord “finally woke up” on the cannabis business and now they have a competitor and needed to maintain their competitive advantage and think through every possibility.

“I am all for expanding the cannabis overlay whether it is a measured approach or just doing the whole city because to me, the process is determined by the city council,” explained Thorpe. He added that at some point they will have to determine how many dispensaries are too much.

Councilwoman Monica Wilson asked what areas those in the cannabis industry were interested in.

Reed explained the Bond Manufacturing plant, which could be an option for manufacturing and cultivation, as well as shopping centers such an upscale boutique shop at the Slatten Ranch Shopping Center.

“A lot of these questions come forward and they do not go anywhere because they know at this point, I won’t call it a non-starter, but at this time the direction from council has been lets see where we are at with the current overlay zone and if we need to expand in the future we will expand in the future,” stated Reed.

Wilson stated they have been tough on the first four cannabis facilities coming into the city but agreed she could go forward with all four items even if it was a measured approach.

“I want us to be open minded,” stated Wilson. “I don’t want us to be so confined that we are closing ourselves off to the market. I think we need to be open minded about expanding and where we are expanding and where we don’t want to expand and keeping our requirements very strict.”

Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock stated this overlay district and called this still new and was surprised that they were already talking about expansion.

“I am not for the expansion and I want to see how well these businesses are going to do. How long are they in business for, a few months?” stated Ogorchock.

Motts chimed in saying she was not opposed to what Wilson stated and suggested the ad-hoc committee on what an overlay would look like in a measured approach so they would not turn away potential opportunities.

Thorpe stated that what was before the council today was the recommendations from the Ad-Hoc Committee which was Items 1-3 and figuring out Item 4 which was the overlay and whether the council wanted to move forward.

“Let’s not have amnesia. The same people who paint doom and gloom are the same people who keep insisting this is the wrong direction and have proven this is not the wrong direction initially. This was a 3-2 vote. dispensaries were the point of contention,” stated Thorpe. “They are doing fine and the doom and gloom scenario everyone painted did not happen so I just want to caution that. Continuing to move forward seems appropriate because we are trying it and its working.”

Thorpe advocated this was an issue the city should not slow down on because everyone else was catching onto.

Staff said they had enough direction to move forward on a revised ordinance that in the future will go before the Planning Commission and then submitted to the City Council.